Packing



Patented July 6, i925,

raies.

CLARENCE ALFRED NEAL, OF ROCK MART, GEORGIA.

FACKNG.

Application filed June 6, 1925.

My invention relates to a packing which y' is especially adapted for use on a piston rod,

valve rod, a plunger of any one of the various types of compressors, or the like.

An object of the invention is to provide a packing which is automatically self-adjusting to compensate for wear lon the relatively moving parts thereof or on the relatively moving surfaces of the packing and the rod or plunger on which the packing is mounted as wellas for temperature changes' or vibration of the rod or plunger on which the packing is used.

A further `object of the invention is the provision of a packing which is leak-proof.

A further object ofthe invention is the provision of a packing which will function effectively as a packing for a moving rod or plunger with but relatively little wear on the packing or the rod or plunger on which the packing is mounted.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a packing which is compact in form, simple in construction, reliable in use and thoroughly practical commercially.

Other objects and advantages of the'invention will be apparent from the following description, considered in rconjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which-'- Figure 1 visa vertical section through the improved packing as applied to a piston rod and in association with a cylinder head,

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a draft ring which is comprised in the improved packing, i

j Figure 3 is a section through the lapped meeting Vend portions ofthe draft ring, the

'viewV being taken substantially along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, p

p Figure 4 is a perspective view of an inner or sealing ring for cooperating with thedraft ring shown in Fig. 2,

Figure 5 is a section through lapped meeting end portions of sections of the sealing ring shown in'y Fig. 4, the view being taken substantially along the line 5-5 of Figt 4,

Figure 6 is a group viewshowiiig a spring leaf, a coil spring and certain associated elements of an expansion spring assembly which is comprised in the improved packing, i

Figure 7 is a face view of the spring supporting ring of the expansion spring assein bly with the springe 'in place thereon,

'21 i A. "1 figure e is view similar tc Figa i, sitew- Serial No. 35,312.

ing the ring for supporting the springs with the springs omitted, and

Figure 9 is a transverse vertical section through t-he complete expansion spring assembly.

In Fig. l, the numeral l designates a rodv which protrudes from an opening 2 in a supporting member 3. The rod l may be a piston rod and the member 3 may be the head of a cylinder, not shown, with which the piston rod is associated.

rlhe improved packing may comprise any desirable number of packing units 4, two of which are shown on the rod l in Fig. l. A'

4spring expansion unit or assembly 5 is provided on the rod l between adjacent packing units 4 and between a packing unit 4 and an adjacent stop, such as the boss 6 on the head 3 in Fig. l.

Each packing unit 4 comprises one or more wearing rings having relatively wide inner faces and narrower outer faces. The packing unit 4 shown in Fig. l comprises a middle wearing ring, indicated at 7 and a pair of end wearing rings 8. The wearing ring 7 comprises two identical complementary segmental sections 7a, each of which is formed with asealing extension or tongue v Sat the inner edge of one end thereof adapted to complement and overlap a sealing tongue or extension 9 on the opposite end of the other section, the lapped sealing eX- tensions 8 and 9 having flat contacting faces 8a and 9a, respectively, sliding flatwise on each `other in a plane which is oblique to the axis of the ring 7 Each of the rings 8 is formed of two complementary segmental sections which coopcrate with each other in the same manner as the sections of the ring 7. The rings8 differ from the ring 7 only in that each ring 8 has the inner side face l() thereof curved conveXly radially thereof from the relatively wide inner peripheral wall l1 to the narrow outer peripheral wall l2 of the ring 8 and the outer side face 13 of the ring 8 is flat and lies in a plane extending at right angles to the inner and outer peripheral walls of the ring 8 while thering'? has both side faces thereof, indicated at 14, conveXly Curved radially thereof and similar to the conveXly curved face l1 of the' ring 8.

Each packing unit also includes a draft ring l5 encircling the' rod l between Aeach @we adjacent niet.

ring 15 has a relatively narrow inner peripheral wall 16, a wider outer peripheral wall 17 and the side faces of each draft ring are concavely curved radially thereof as indicated at 1S to complement the convexly curved side faces of the adjacent wearing rings. Lach 'draft ring 15 is of the split ring type and has an extending. sealing'. tongue 19 at one end thereof fitting slidably and snugly in a slot Q0` in the other end of the draft ring. rl`he tongue 1)y increases in 8, the lapped end portions Q10-21C being connected by a pivot. element 23 which is parallel to the axis of ring 21. rthe lapped: end portions of the ring 22 corresponding to the lapped end portions 21e- 21 also are connected with` each other by one of thepivet elements 29'. rllhe ring 21 is provided at regularly spaced intervals with pairs of adjacent transverse openings 24. and 25, respectively'. Leaf springs, each of whichcomprises a plurality of superposed spring lea-ves` 26, have corresponding end, portions thereof secured by rivets Q7 and the shanks Q8 of combined stops and guides 2) to the inner face of the ring 21', the rivets 27 extending through the openings 25. in ring 21 and alinedl openings 30 in the leaves ofthe leaf springs while the Shanks Q8 entend through thev openings. Qd and through. openings 31 in the. leaves of the leafsprings, the combined stops and! guides being disposed between the attached ends of the leaf springs and the ring 22; A coil; spring encircles each stop'aiid guide and' isv adapted; to be placed under compression when the rings Q1 and 22 of each expansion unit move axially toward each other finom the positiony shown in Fig. 9: rlhe leaves Q6 of eachl leaf spring have the inner and' outer edges thereof curved te lie: substantially in; arcs of; circles struck by rad-ii about centers lying in the anis of the expansion unit andi thel leaf springs curve longitudinally from their attached ends towardl the ring 22 for the greater part of their length and then are curved'reverscly adjacent totheir free ends, thus producing substantially flat contact end portions at 33' whichbear against the inner face of the ring Q2. The stops and guides 29l limit the movement of therings 21 and 22 of each expansion. unit toward each other and therefore prevent undue compression of the coil springs 32 and undue strain of the leaf springs.

From the foregoing description of the various parts of the device, the operation thereof will be readily understood. The draft rings preferably are formed of tough liber, asbestos, duck, or the like while the wearing rings preferably are made of soft metal or fiber. The expansion units will act continuously to hold adjacent faces of the draft and wearing rings in close contact with each other and any adjustment rc quired between adjacent dra ift and wearing rings to compensate for wear, temjjicrature changes. vibrations, etc. will be auton'iatic. Since tne rings of the packing are formed ot sections, it is obvious that the packingr can. be applied to or removed from a piston rod or like rod or shaft without disconnecting the shaft from the parts with which it is associated. Each ring of the packing unit is leak-proof since the meeting end portions of the ring contact with each other in` such manner as to provide a. fluid tight joint and the respective rings of the packing unit likewisel contact with each other in such manner as to produce a leak-proof packing unit.

0bviously, the invention is susceptible of:

embodiment in forms other than that which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings and I therefore consider as my own all such modifications and adaptations thereof as fairly fall within the scope of the appended claims.v

l claim:

1. in packing unit comprising a plurality of wearingrings tapering radially outward, a. draft ring tapering radially inward and overlapping adjacent wearing rings, espansion spring means at opposite ends of` said packing unit. each draft ring being of the split ring type and having an outwardly tapering dove tail extension at one end thereof fitting slidably in, an` outwardly tapering dove-tail slot in the other end of the ring.

2. A packing unit comprising a plurality of wearing rings tapering radially outward, a draft ring tapering radially inward and overlapping. adjacent wearing rings, and eX- pension spring units at opposite ends of the packing unit, each expansion spring r unit comprising a pair of rings, spaced leaf springs each attached at one end to one of said; rings and in Contact; adjacent to its oppositeiend with the inner face of the other ring of the spring unit, and coi] springs disposed between the attached ends of the leaf springs and the adjacent ring of the spring unit.

3. A packing unit comprising a plurality ofwearing rings tapering radially outward, a draftring tapering radially inward and overlapping adjacent wearing rings, anderpansion spring units at opposite ends of ion the packing unit, each expansion spring unit comprising a pair of rings, spaced leaf springs each attached at one end to one of said rings and in .contact adjacent to its opposite end With the inner face of the other' ring of the spring unit, and coil springs disposed between the attached ends of the leaf springs and the adjacent ring of the spring unit, said leaf springs having arcuately curved inner and outer edges lying substantiallyL in arcs of circles struck by radii about centers lying in the axial line of said rings oit' the spring unit.

4C. A packing unit comprising a plurality of Wearing rings tapering radiallyoutward, a draft ring tapering radially inward and overlapping adjacent Wearing rings, and eX- pansion spring units at opposite ends of the packing unit, each expansion spring unit comprising a pair of rings, spaced leaf springs each attached at one end to one ot said rings and in contact adjacent to its opposite end with the inner face of the other a draft ring tapering radially inward and overlapping adjacent Wearing rings, and eX- pansion spring units at opposite ends of the packing unit, each expansion spring unit comprising a pair or rings, spaced leaf springs each attached at one end to one of said rings and in contact adjacent to its opposite end with the inner face of the .other ring oi' the spring unit, and coil springs disposed between the attached ends of the leaf springs andthe adjacent ring of the spring unit, each of said rings of the spring unit comprising ak pair of sections hinged together and being adapted to over lap at their free ends.

CLARENCE ALFRED NEAL. 

